Falling for Derek Morgan
by socialgal5
Summary: When J.J. leaves the BAU to spend more time with her family, a new agent is assigned as Media Liaison. Will Aubry Edwards make Derek Morgan lose his 'womanizing' habits? Will they act on their attraction, breaking the rules, or will they stay apart? DM/OC
1. Chapter 1

I was nervous as I walked into the BAU on Monday morning, but I was also excited about my new position as Media Liaison for the skilled team of profilers. I had wanted to work with the BAU ever since joining the FBI five years ago and this was my chance.

Taking a deep breath, I quickly straightened my black pencil skirt and grey sweater top, then opened the glass doors and walked inside. I could feel eyes watching me as I walked past all the desks and several agents, and up the short flight of stairs to Supervisory Special Agent Hotchner's office. I took another deep breath before I knocked on his door twice in succession.

"Come in!" a gruff voice responded, unnerving me even more than anything else. But, on command, I opened the door and walked in.

"Can I help you?" the dark-haired agent asked tersely, not looking up from the paperwork he was involved in.

"I'm Agent Aubry Edwards. Director Strauss told me to report to you. I've been assigned to your team," I explained, holding out the manila folder that contained my new orders.

My last sentence caused Agent Hotchner to look up quickly. "You're J.J's replacement?" he wanted to know sharply.

"I was told Agent Jereau was no longer with the Bureau and that I was to take over her duties as Media Liaison for your team. I'm also a trained profiler myself," I announced proudly. I'd worked long and hard to earn my degree and now I was finally where I'd dreamed of working.

Agent Hotchner surveyed my documents critically and I was afraid he'd find some minor flaw that would send me back downstairs to the organized crime unit, a thought I dreaded.

"It looks as though everything is in order," he finally said, standing up and closing the folder. "If you'll follow me, I'll introduce you to the team."

I followed him back downstairs to see a group of people assembled, talking amongst themselves. They were all different—a skinny guy who looked about as old as my sixteen-year old brother at home, a tall brunette woman who moved with grace and poise, an older Italian-looking man with a beard, a slightly overweight blonde woman who was wearing the brightest clothes I'd ever seen. And then there was him. He was a tall, muscular man with skin the color of melted milk chocolate. His looks, suave and sexy, were intoxicating, just like the intensity of his dark eyes.

"Everyone, this is Aubry Edwards. She's taking J.J.'s place," Agent Hotchner told them all. Aubry, this is Dr. Spencer Reid, Agent Emily Prentiss, Agent David Rossi, Penelope Garcia, and Agent Derek Morgan."

I smiled at everyone shyly. "It's nice to meet you all," I greeted them.

Agent Prentiss extended her hand. "Welcome to the BAU, Aubry," she said warmly. I shook her hand firmly, happy that she wasn't as icy as Agent Hotchner.

"We're glad to have you on the team, Aubry," Agent Rossi added, shaking my hand next.

Dr. Reid was next and he awkwardly shook my hand. "Yeah, glad to have you," he mumbled, taking his hand back quickly. I got the impression he didn't really want me there.

"We'll have to get to know each other as soon as you get back," Penelope exclaimed, giving me a hug instead of shaking my hand. "You'll be fine."

"Get back?" I echoed, still a little stunned at her hug.

Agent Hotchner's lips became an even thinner line. "I'm afraid you won't get to settle in right away. We've been called to Salt Lake City immediately," he informed me. "We were about to brief in the conference room."

"Briefing—isn't that my job?" I asked. "I'm not up to speed. Strauss—I mean, the Section Chief—didn't mention a case this morning." I blushed when I thought about how I'd casually used her last name, which was what I called her when not on duty. She wasn't my favorite person.

"Don't worry about it," Agent Rossi hastened to assure me. "You'll get a chance to figure out all of that when we get back. Right now, we need to look over the case so that we can leave on the jet in an hour."

"I assume your go-bag is ready?" Agent Hotchner said, looking at me. He seemed to be angry at me and I couldn't figure out why.

"Yes, sir. I do."

"Good."

As we all filed into the conference room, Agent Morgan stopped me in the doorway. I felt my stomach flutter as I looked into his smoldering eyes.

"Welcome to the team," he told me, shaking my hand. "Don't worry. Hotch is just having a rough time right now, but he'll get better. He just has to get to know you."

I smiled with relief. "Thank you, Agent Morgan. I was more-than-a-little intimidated."

He grinned, the charm of his smile not lost on me. "I can't imagine anyone intimidating you, Aubry. And by the way, it's Derek."

_**Okay, so this is my first fanfic in a really long time. Tell me how I'm doing. I feel like Derek really needs someone to love—and not just a week-long girlfriend. **_


	2. Chapter 2

Agent Hotchner agreed to do the briefing, since I was new to the team and not quite up to speed on how everything was run. I knew that once we returned from our case in Salt Lake City, I'd have to learn everything very fast. I was afraid of screwing up and Agent Hotchner didn't look like he was a very patient person.

The case we were going to investigate was a bad one—worse than anything I'd seen in my many years with the FBI. The unsub was kidnapping housewives, keeping them forty-eight hours, and then dumping their raped and mutilated bodies in alleys. The pictures that local LEO's had sent over were disturbing and I closed my case file quickly, swallowing hard. A voice inside my head told me that I was going to have to get used to this.

When we finished with the briefing, I hurried out to my Ford Explorer and got my go-bag, then met everyone downstairs to head to the jet. Once in flight, the team began discussing the case and a preliminary profile. I sat silently and watched them, making mental notes of the things they saw in the unsub's method of operation.

"What do you think, Aubry?" Agent Rossi asked me. Suddenly, I felt all eyes on me and immediately I was nervous.

"Um…I guess I pretty much agree with you guys' profile," I said lamely.

"But what's your opinion?" Rossi pressed. He obviously wanted an answer and I needed to think. Fast.

"Well, he's torturing them and raping them in the first twenty-four hour period and then he kills them, but he waits a full day to dump their bodies," I pointed out, "so he must have somewhere to keep them and he has to have some way to transport them. But, the bodies have all been found mid-day, so he might be unemployed, or have odd working hours that allow him to be out at those times of day."

Finished, I looked up to see gage their opinion of my profiling and I could see that I'd done well.

"Good thinking," Rossi complimented me. "You caught something we didn't."

Agent Morgan smiled at me and winked, but Dr. Reid looked like he'd tasted something bad. Agent Prentiss nodded in agreement with Rossi and SSA Hotchner's mouth didn't seem to be in as thin a line as before.

**DEREK'S POV:**

Derek Morgan had never been more instantly attracted to a woman as he was to Aubry Edwards. She was sexy and attractive, and yet she wasn't his usual type. Aubry was slender, but not skinny and she looked as if something very serious had happened to her recently. He could tell she was scared by all of them, especially Hotch. That's why he had smiled at her, letting her know that they weren't all hard to get along with.

Now she was sitting across from him, her long legs crossed elegantly. She was dressed very professionally, but he figured she'd get the hang of their more relaxed dress code soon enough. Her long strawberry blonde hair was swept up into a high ponytail and had just the perfect amount of wave to it. Her skin was fair, with a few freckles across her nose and her chin was pointed at the bottom of her heart-shaped face.

Derek knew it wasn't going to be easy working next to her every day, considering how beautiful he thought she was. She could give him one glance with those big greenish-gray eyes and he knew he'd be a goner.

**AUBRY'S POV:**

We arrived in Salt Lake City just after one in the afternoon and the local police department had two black Suburbans waiting for us on the tarmac. I went in one with Agents Rossi and Prentiss while Agents Morgan and Hotchner both went with Dr. Reid, who still hadn't really spoken to me.

Agent Prentiss—Emily—insisted that I sit in the front seat and I graciously accepted after throwing my go-bag in the back of the SUV.

"Does Dr. Reid have some reason for not liking me?" I asked quietly as we began driving through downtown Salt Lake City. " He seems a little…rude."

Rossi chuckled to himself as if he knew a secret. "Reid really liked J.J. That's all."

"He carried a torch for her for years, even though he never really let on," Emily explained.

I nodded; I got it. It was going to take more than a little while to fit in with this team. Naturally, I hadn't expected to become friends with all of them right away, but I had hoped that they would all be open to the idea that I was their new media liaison.

When we arrived at the precinct, press was swarming around the place, which was no surprise since seven women had been killed so far. We walked through the crowd, Agent Hotchner leading the way. It seemed very natural for Agent Rossi to follow him, then Agent Morgan and then the rest of us brought up the rear, myself in the very back. For some reason, I felt very vulnerable, even with a gun at my side. I felt alone. Being alone was helpless and in the back of my mind, I wondered if that's what the abducted housewives had felt before they were murdered.

Inside, I saw several of the police officers glaring as us and I moved closer to Emily. "Why are they glaring at us?" I wanted to know.

"Because they don't like having to call us in. They don't want us here," she whispered. "We're taking over their case, and even though _they_ called _us, _they still feel like we're infringing on their territory."

"Ahh…I see."

We headed into the conference room where a specific area had been dedicated to the current case. The head detective was waiting for us. He was a portly man in his fifties. He looked as though the he'd eaten one too many Krispy Kreme donuts when we was a street cop.

"Detective Thompson?" Agent Hotchner asked, putting out his hand. "I'm SSA Hotchner with the BAU. We spoke on the phone earlier."

I saw Thompson survey all of us critically. "It's about time you got here," he muttered bitterly, not shaking our boss's hand. Instead, he turned away and gestured to all the gruesome photos posted on the bulletin boards. "I'd say you have your work cut out for you."

"Detective, I'd like to introduce you to my team before we began," Hotchner said. "We're only here to help and I'd like you to feel free to put them to use in any way. These are Special Agents Rossi, Prentiss, Morgan, Edwards, and this is Dr. Reid."

"We're not here to infringe on your territory or take over you investigation, Detective Thompson," Agent Rossi insisted gently. "We're just here to help."

"We'll see," was all the detective would say.

Somehow, my first day wasn't turning out quite like I planned for it to. In fact, I had the feeling that nothing about this job was going to be like I had expected it.

_**Please review. The next chapter will have lots more Morgan/Aubry but I really need to know if anyone's reading this. Trust me, I know exactly where I want this story to go!**_


	3. Chapter 3

**AURBRY'S POV:**

Agent Hotchner quickly took action, apparently choosing to ignore the icy greeting we had all received.

"Rossi, Reid, I want you two to assess the dump scenes. Prentiss, you and I will talk to the first two victims' families. Morgan, Edwards, you take the last two. Meet back here in two hours and we'll get a profile together," he ordered everyone promptly.

I was glad I was going with Agent Morgan—Derek—but nervous at the same time. He was the handsomest man I'd ever seen and I had that nervous, fluttery feeling in my stomach when I was too close to him.

As we drove into the suburbs of Salt Lake City, he glanced over at me. "So, where're you from, Aubry?" he wanted to know.

"I call Augusta, Georgia home, but I live in D.C now," I explained.

"Yeah, I'd imagine so, otherwise you'd have a really long commute every day to work," Derek joked.

I laughed pleasantly. "Yeah, good point. So what about you? Where do you hail from? I'm guessing…Baltimore? Detroit?"

"Chicago," he corrected. "But you were close. How'd you guess?"

"You have the hardcore big-city-overrun-with-crime-cop look," I told him honestly. "But that's not a bad thing. I just picked up on it. What about me? Surely your whole team has profiled me by now." I swallowed hard, preparing to hear an experienced profiler deduce things about me that only a trained person could.

Derek looked at me oddly. "Why would you think that we've profiled you?" he asked quickly.

I raised my eyebrows and looked directly at him. "Cause I saw all of you doing it. Maybe not consciously, but you were. So, what did you figure out?"

For a moment, Derek was silent, focusing on where he was driving. Then, he spoke. "You're left-handed, because I saw where you carried your gun, on your left hip. You're nervous because Hotch scared you with his…gruff tone. You want to fit in, but you know better than to rush something like this. You understand that we're a tightly knit team and that to fit in, you have to be accepted by us. And, from the look in your eyes, you never saw anything like this crime before, not in all the years you've worked for the FBI."

When he stopped, it took all my self-control not to let my mouth fall open. I wanted to praise him for his deductions at the same time I wanted to slap him for seeing straight through me. Instead, I just stared straight ahead.

"Not bad," I finally said.

We reached our destination after one wrong turn. Derek stopped me before we went into the house.

"These people are terrified," he reminded me. "Even if you feel like you want to say something, think about what they've lost. And stop me if I lose my head, too."

"Lose your head?" I was confused by what he was saying.

"Sometimes my temper gets the better of me and I say something I shouldn't. And, judging from your reddish hair and freckles, you've got a bit of a fiery temper, too."

I glared at him. "Just because you're a profiler doesn't mean you know me without any effort, Agent Morgan," I snapped. "And the red hair doesn't give me the temper. I developed it when I joined the FBI."

Utterly disgusted with his arrogance at assuming I had an attitude, I turned and walked towards the house, already pulling out my badge to show in order to gain entrance. So much for my theory that Derek would be the one to make me feel at home. Damn profilers! They could be such a pain sometimes.

**DEREK'S POV:**

Derek hadn't realized that one small pieces of advice would make her so mad, but it had. She had glared at him like no one else ever had and then whirled away, her fragrant hair brushing against his face as she did so. For a few seconds, he was stunned by the scent of pomegranate that he smelled when her long locks came into contact with his face.

Now, she was angry with him and he was angry with himself for making her so. How could a woman like that be so damn attractive? He'd only known her for a few hours, but all he could think about was how he'd like to take her into his arms and kiss those pale pink lips until she couldn't breathe and neither could he.

Trying to rid himself of such inappropriate, distracting, and unprofessional thoughts, Derek followed her up the walkway and got there just in time to see the third victim's husband open the door.

"Mr. Collins, I'm Agent Edwards with the FBI. And _this,_" she said coolly, "is Agent Morgan. We have a few questions for you. Do you mind if we come in?"

The drained man nodded wearily. "Sure, why not. Come on it." He opened the door wide and Derek followed Aubry inside.

"Have a seat," Mr. Collins told them, taking them into the living room. "I'd offer you something to drink but uh…I haven't really gone shopping."

"It's fine," Aubry hastened to assure him. "We're not thirsty."

"Mr. Collins, can you tell us anything about the night your wife was abducted?" Morgan wanted to know, cutting directly to the chase.

"I've been trying to think about anything out of the ordinary, but I just can't, Agent Morgan. I left for work, just like I always do. My seventeen year old son took his brothers and sisters to school at 7:30AM and then she was alone."

"Is your son here, Mr. Collins?" Derek asked.

"He should be home soon," the distraught man replied absently. "Do you need to talk to him? Really? He's been through so much already."

"We understand, Mr. Collins, but it's important that we find out any detail, no matter how small," Aubry finally said, her voice quiet. Something about talking in a normal tone seemed sacrilegious in the eerily silent house.

"But the police interrogated them several times. They said they didn't see anything or hear anyone," he insisted forcefully. "Believe me, they've been through way too much."

Derek nodded sympathetically. "We do know what you're going through, Mr. Collins, but it's our job to cover every aspect of the case. We're not the local PD and that's who interviewed your son. We _need _to talk to him."

"Well you CAN'T!" Mr. Collins yelled, jumping to his feet. The man was stressed, mourning, and put out with the two persistent FBI agents in front of him.

"Mr. Collins, please calm down," Aubry pleaded with him, rising too. "We're not trying to upset you, but we do ne—" Her sentence was cut short when Richard Collins slapped her across the face in rage.

Derek was on his feet in a second, ready to protect the beautiful woman at his side, no matter what the consequences. "Don't lay a hand on her," he ordered the man angrily. He took Aubry's arm and pulled her gently towards the door. She wasn't hurt—only stunned by the surprise action.

"I'm sorry for your loss, sir," she whispered as they left, never raising her eyes from the floor.

**AUBRY'S POV:**

When we got outside, I was too stunned to speak. I had just been slapped on my first day on the BAU team. It wasn't exactly how I'd planned for things to go.

"Are you okay?" Derek asked, genuinely concerned. He took my face in his hands gently and turned my head to the side so he could examine my cheek.

"I'm fine," I told him, not failing to notice how strong his hands were and how softly he touched me. "It just stung. And surprised me."

"I can't believe he did that. And to a federal officer."

I walked towards the car alongside Derek. "He's upset, Derek. I don't blame him for what he did. We were being sort of insistent."

Derek opened the car door for me politely. "Well, we still need to talk to those kids."

_Next time on "Falling for Derek": The BAU catches their unsub, only to be immediately called out on another case where Aubry and Derek have to go undercover as a married couple. Lots of smut ensues and both of them begin to believe in love at first sight. But, will they break the rules or remain distanced from one another??? Please review!_


	4. Chapter 4

**AURBRY'S POV:**

Within three days, we caught the unsub. He had been watching the women for weeks before abducting them. Unfortunately, he had killed once more before we caught him. I wouldn't lie; the case had disturbed me terribly and I couldn't wait to get home, finish my paperwork, and then grab a few drinks at my favorite bar. Sadly, my wish wasn't going to get granted.

We were about to leave Salt Lake City when Hotch, as most of the team called him and I was beginning to, received a phone call. We were being a sent to a town in Mississippi where a serial killer was brutally murdering interracially married couples. The case files would be waiting when we arrived at the airport.

"No rest for the weary," Rossi remarked, sighing at the thought of not getting back to his place for the weekend.

"Guess I'll have to cancel my plans," Emily complained quietly. "I had a date for the first time in a few months," she told me.

When she mentioned the word 'date', it wasn't lost on me that Hotch's head snapped around sharply to look at her. I wasn't positive, but I sensed that there were unspoken and unacted-upon feelings between the two of them.

Not too long after the jet took off and headed southeast, everyone was sound asleep. Except for Derek and me. He was on the opposite end of the jet, listening to his Ipod and I was curled up on one end of the sofa, staring out at the clouds, trying to think of a way to forget what I'd just seen. Somehow, I didn't think it was going to be very easy. Even as a child, I had been an emotional person—always crying when animals died, or someone got hurt. Now, I was trying not to let my tears fall, though they were threatening. I couldn't allow myself to give in to this, but it was a struggle.

"You okay?" Derek asked softly, sitting down beside me suddenly, surprising me.

"Of course!" I replied too quickly.

Derek was quiet for a few minutes, just sitting by my side. His silence told me a lot about him. Finally, he spoke again. "You know, it's never easy, Aubry. Not for any of us. You just…have to learn how to compartmentalize.," he told me.

"That sounds so heartless," I said bitterly. "If we'd said that to the victims' families, I'd have gotten slapped again." Laughing sadly, I allowed one tear to roll down my cheek.

To my surprise, Derek reached up and wiped the tear away with his thumb. "It will get better, Aubry. I know that you had a rough first case and I know that Hotch was pretty harsh with you, but it will get better. I promise. Do you think I'd still be here if it didn't?"

"But the cases—they'll get worse, won't they?" I looked up at him earnestly, wanting the truth and not a sugar-coated lie.

"Yeah, some of them will be," he told me honestly. "But we're all here for one another. I'm here for you, if you need me to be."

I gave him a faint, weary smile. "Thank you, Derek. You've been sweet. And I'm sorry that I snapped at you on Monday. I guess I do have a fiery temper." With that, I leaned close and kissed his cheek, surprising him. "Now, I'd say we both had better get some rest before we land."

"Good idea," he replied. Then, he proceeded to go to sleep right next to me. As I drifted off, I couldn't help but feel that there was something truly special about Derek Morgan. Something special that I wasn't going to be able to ignore forever.

**DEREK'S POV:**

When Derek woke up, the pilot had just announced that they would be landing in fifteen minutes. It took the handsome profiler a second to remember where he was and another second to figure out what that pressure on his shoulder was. He glanced over and saw that Aubry Edwards was sound asleep with her head propped on his shoulder. Her long lashes were gracefully brushing the tops of her cheeks and she had snuggled close to Derek, apparently seeking warmth in the cool temperature of the jet.

Very gently, he eased her down onto the arm of the sofa. She stirred slightly and yawned, but never opened her eyes. Derek watched her carefully, unable to quiet the stirring deep inside. He'd only known her for four days and yet he already felt as if she was someone he had the honor of protecting—a duty he didn't want to shirk.

"She's beautiful, isn't she?" Rossi commented from across the airplane.

Derek jumped at the sound of his voice, having been unaware that anyone else was awake. "Yeah, she is," he responded before thinking. "Oh man, Rossi! I've got it bad!"

The older Italian man chuckled to himself. "Yeah, I can tell. She's attracted to you, too."

Shaking his head, Derek moved away from Aubry a little. "I can't do this, Rossi. We work together. Hell, she just started this week!"

"You can't help who you're attracted to, Morgan. It happens just like this sometimes." Rossi spoke from experience.

Derek looked up at the senior agent as if he was crazy. "You're saying that there's such as a thing as 'love at first sight?' Isn't that just in the movies?"

Rossi smiled brightly. "Not always, Derek. Not always."

**AUBRY'S POV:**

When I woke up, I was lying on the sofa and I could feel the plane beginning to descend. Still drowsy, I sat up and yawned widely. Derek had moved from his spot beside me and I found myself somewhat relieved. Being close to him was difficult because of how attracted I was to him.

"Better buckle up," Emily advised me. "We're getting ready to land."

Stiff from the position I'd been sleeping in, I got up slowly and took a seat beside Agent Rossi who smiled pleasantly at me. "Sleep well?" he wanted to know.

I shrugged. "I've had comfortable beds, but I'll make do with whatever I'm given," I replied.

"What time is it?" Reid wondered aloud as he woke up. "Where are we?"

"We're about to land in to land, kid," Morgan informed him, putting away his Ipod and headphones.

"It's about time. This seat is really uncomfortable," he complained.

"What time is it?" I asked, digging through my bag for my cell phone.

"About four in the morning," Rossi spoke up. "A little early for me."

I yawned again. "You got that right." Honestly, I was exhausted. The case had been grueling and emotionally draining and although my talk with Derek earlier had made me feel some better, I felt like a hot bath and a glass of wine would do wonders right now.

"We'll go straight to the hotel when we land," Hotch informed everyone. "But we need to be in the lobby by eight. Garcia said this one was bad. He's killing two at a time."

"Why don't we just go ahead and get to work?" I suggested. "We're all awake and it's not like we'd get that much sleep before eight anyway."

"She's got a point," Derek agreed. " Three hours, at the most, is all we'd get. I'm up for going right to work."

Agent Hotchner looked around the jet at all of us, gauging everyone's reaction. "If that's good with everyone, then we will. That way, we'll be able to present a preliminary profile to the local L.E.O.'s a little sooner."

So, immediately upon landing, Derek received the files from the officers picking us up and we split up into groups to go investigate the crime scenes. This time, I went with Rossi and he drove, which was good as I was barely able to keep my eyes awake. In the back of my mind, I wondered why I'd suggested we keep going instead of getting a little rest.

"You can sleep while I drive," he offered kindly. "I don't mind."

"Nah. If I doze off, it'll just make me want more. It's best just to stay awake till my second wind hits me."

He looked at me strangely for a second and then smiled warmly. "You don't have to prove yourself to me, Aubry. I'm not Aaron. I'm not going to yell at you."

I smiled wearily. "Thanks, Agent Rossi. Maybe I will nap for a little while."

For twenty minutes, I slept while Rossi drove through to the first crime scene, located in a nice neighborhood in Rosewood, Mississippi. When I got out, I stretched and rubbed my eyes, no longer worried about how my eye makeup looked. It was 0430 AM—nobody looked good.

A police officer was parked outside the house, keeping an eye on the crime scene. He got out as we did and walked towards us, blinding us with his flashlight.

"State your business!" he called loudly.

"He could have just said 'who goes there? Friend or foe?'" I pointed out. "It would have meant the same thing."

Rossi and I pulled our badges our to show him and he finally put the flashlight down. "I heard you were coming," he said. "Didn't know you'd be here at this time of the night."

"We're here to get the job done and that means getting to work right away." I told him.

The cop nodded. "Probably a good idea. C'mon, I'll show you around. It's a brutal sight."

As we entered the house, Rossi and I pulled on latex gloves in order to keep the crime scene clean of our prints.

"From the looks of it, the killer entered through the back door. It was the furthest from the bedroom," the officer announced. "There were obvious signs of forced entry."

"But he left no prints on the door?" Rossi asked, thumbing through the file that Hotch had given him.

"No, sir. He knew better than that."

I glanced around the house. It was handsomely furnished telling me that the owners had undoubtedly been somewhat wealthy. Rossi handed me the case file and I thumbed through it quickly, glancing at the gruesome photos with disgust.

"It looks like we should take a look at the bedroom," I remarked. "That's where he murdered them."

Upstairs, in the bedroom, there were plenty of signs that the couple had been preparing for a night of romance. Half-burned candles were scattered around the room and a wine bottle sat on top of the dresser. Two half-consumed glasses of the beverage were still on the bedside table.

The sheets were covered in dried blood—more than I'd ever seen before.

"He murdered them brutally," Rossi remarked. "We're dealing with a sick person. A very, very sick person."

COMING UP NEXT: while attempting to catch their unsub, Aubry and Derek will have to go undercover as a married couple. What will happen between the two? Will they catch their killer?


	5. Chapter 5

**AURBRY'S POV:**

After thoroughly examining the bedroom, I walked downstairs to investigate further while Rossi finished upstairs. The police officer followed me and I could feel his eyes watching me carefully as I moved around the house.

"What exactly are you looking for?" he asked me after a few minutes.

"Anything," I replied simply, not willing to divulge my techniques.

In the mudroom, I discovered a small calendar that the couple had written important dates on for each week. It was an erasable marker board, so I figured that they just erased it every week and wrote the new plans. The past seven days had included a doctor's appointment, a housewarming party at a friend's, and dinner at Maggie's.

"What's Maggie's?" I asked the cop, noting that their dinner reservations were on the night of their murders.

"It's an expensive restaurant downtown. Takes a while to get a reservation, from what I hear," he informed me.

"Hmm…" I made a quick note on my pad and then tucked it into my back pocket. "I think I've got all I need."

As we drove back to the police station to rendezvous with the rest of the team, Rossi wanted to know what I thought about the murders, so I pulled out the case file and thumbed through the photos again.

"He kills the men quickly," I observed. "Less painfully, too. But it's the women who he spends more time on. Them he…he disfigures horribly. It's brutal and he makes them suffer. It's all about the pain and the agony they feel." Looking at the pictures was enough to make me want to hide underneath the covers for the rest of my life.

"Rossi," I began, "does what you—I mean we—do ever scare you?"

"Only every day of my life," he replied simply. "This job…it takes a toll on you after a while, so you have to find something to hold onto. Something that never changes and is always good and fun."

I thought about his words the rest of the way back to the precinct and when I got there, everybody but Hotch and Emily were back. We sat down around a small table and discussed what we'd found. When Derek mentioned that the second couple who had fallen victim to the brutal killer had had reservations at a place called Maggie's on the night they were murdered, my head snapped up.

"Where?" I exclaimed, interrupting what Reid was in the middle of saying.

"Maggie's," Derek replied. "Why?"

"That's the same place that the Randalls had dinner reservations for the night they were murdered," I informed them. "It was written on the calendar in their house."

Morgan was already pulling out his cell phone and dialing someone before I'd finished talking.

"Hey, baby girl, can you pull up everything you have on 'Maggie's' in Rosewood?"

"Of course, my god," she replied, her voice coming over the speakerphone loud and clear.

I knew that it was Garcia, but I still wondered why she was flirting with Morgan so heavily. Were they…together? Surely not! She wasn't exactly his type. Then, I thought to myself, I probably wasn't either.

"Okay, I've got everything you could possibly want on the place, Derek. What are we looking for?" Penelope wanted to know.

"Can you get their reservations for me?" Morgan asked her.

"Sure can. I can do anything for you, my beloved." There was a pause and I could hear her typing hurriedly. "Okay…what exactly am I looking for?"

"We've discovered that two of the couples had dinner reservations the nights they were murdered. We need to figure out it the other couple also had reservations there. It would give us a common link between the three of them, besides the race factor."

"Which couple am I looking for here?" Garcia inquired, still typing away rapidly on the other end of the line.

"The Taylors. They were killed Thursday—two days ago. See if they had reservations for that night," I spoke up, talking loud enough so that Derek's phone would pick up my voice.

"Can do, newest member of the family," Garcia replied sweetly. "Just…give…me…one…second…GOT IT! The Taylors had reservations for Thursday evening at 8PM."

"What was the M.E.'s time of death on the Taylor's?" Reid wondered aloud, scanning his files for the information.

I found it first. "Approximately 11PM, give or take a half hour or so." Dr. Reid looked upset that I'd discovered it first, but he still didn't say anything.

"That's plenty of time for someone to get in the house while they were gone," Garcia piped up. "I'll do some more digging and see what I can find. Garcia out."

As the others discussed possibilities of how the murderer could have gotten into the house without breaking in and leaving obvious signs, I was lost deep in thought. Even when Hotch and Emily arrived, it didn't startle me from my reverie. Then, it hit me.

"Whoever the killer is, he would've had to have been at the restaurant and seen them there. What about a waiter?"

Everyone stopped talking quite suddenly and stared at me. I was certain I'd said something wrong when Morgan broke into a smile.

"She's right," he finally said. "It makes sense. I'll have Garcia review the staff at the restaurant and see if any of them fit our preliminary profile.

Dawn was breaking and my brain didn't seem to be working very well any longer, so I went to the break room to get some more coffee while the team discussed potential suspects. My eyes and head were aching and my contacts were drying out terribly, but I knew I had to keep going until we solved the thing. Derek followed me and poured himself a cup after me.

"You look tired," he commented. "How're you holding up?"

I nodded, touched by his concern once again. "I'm okay. But I don't do very well on little sleep."

He put his hand on my shoulder lightly. "You'll get some soon, okay?"

"Thanks, Derek."

By mid-afternoon, we had discovered a possible suspect who was a waiter at Maggie's and who fit the profile we had come up with. While Hotch, Reid, and Emily went to talk with the owner of the restaurant, Derek, Rossi and I decided to get some sleep at the precinct. The men insisted I take the couch while they napped on the floor. I was reluctant to agree, but finally I gave in and in mere minutes, I was out like a light.

In what seemed like no time, Emily was shaking me awake. "Come with me," she insisted urgently. "You're going undercover."

"Undercover?" I echoed. "Wh—wait! Emily, what are you talking about?"

"I'll tell you in the car," she promised, " but right now, we've got to go!"

Once we were on the road, driving into the main part of the town, Emily began explaining everything. " We spoke with the hostess at Maggie's. She says that there is a couple coming in for dinner tonight that fits the victim type—white woman and a black man. Hotch is on his way to their house right now to tell them what's going on and to set up surveillance in their house."

"Surely he's not going to use them as bait?!" I exclaimed. "That would be crazy!"

"He isn't," Emily told me. "He's going to send you and Derek undercover as the married couple. "Which is why we have to get you something wear. Morgan already has something to wear, but I doubt you brought a little black dress in your go-bag."

So much was sinking in at one moment that I was feeling overwhelmed. Derek and I were going undercover. We were going undercover as a **married **couple. What did that imply? Then, I thought about how the couples that had been killed had been enjoying a very intimate romantic evening when they were murdered. Did that mean that…? Surely even the FBI wouldn't ask us to go **that **far!

Emily and I found a small clothing boutique on the main street of the city and in no time, I was outfitted with a simple black dress, some red stilettos, and faux pearl jewelry.

"Let's get you back to the hotel so we can do your makeup," she rushed me, grabbing the bags as I was finishing up paying for the purchases with my company card.

While she curled my hair and applied my makeup, Emily noticed my hands shaking. "Are you nervous?" she asked.

"Yes," I replied softly. "I've never been sent undercover before."

"You'll be fine," she assured me, patting my shoulder. "Derek's a natural, so just let him lead you. He'll protect you, too."

That's when it hit me how dangerous this was. We could be killed by this man, if we even had the right person. He had killed three other couples and when I thought about how he'd made the women suffer for a long time, I felt sick to my stomach. Still, Hotch had ordered me to do it and I wanted a chance to prove myself. I had to do this, no matter what happened. But, what scared me the most, was the thought of being with Derek when we got back to the couple's house….


	6. Chapter 6

DEREK's POV:

When Aubry walked into the police station at 7:30PM, Derek Morgan knew he would never look at a more beautiful sight. The hem of the black dress fell a good three inches above her knees and her tanned legs were absolutely stunning. Her long locks were curled softly and fell upon her shoulders gracefully. The bright red heels she wore raised her to just above the height of his chin.

Her expression he was unable to read. She looked slightly nervous, but she held her head high and tried to calm her shaking hands.

"You ready?" he whispered to her as they prepared to leave for the restaurant.

She nodded wordless, her lips pressed together in determination.

"We'll be fine, Aubry," he told her quietly. "I'm not going to let anyone hurt you."

"Oh, I've got my weapon, too," she assured him, leaving him to imagine the few places that it could be stashed in that ever-so tiny dress that accentuated her curves perfectly.

**AUBRY'S POV:**

When we got to the restaurant, Derek opened the car door for me and then closed it behind me. As we walked up the path to the fancy dining establishment, he wrapped a strong arm around my waist and slipped a small ring on my wedding finger.

"Remember, we're married. We're madly in love," he whispered, his dark eyes locking with mine as he spoke. "Play your part, even if you're still mad at me."

"I'm not mad," I managed to say before we went inside.

"All right, everyone, stay sharp," Hotch's voice said through the earpieces we were wearing."

Inside, the hostess led us to our table. She was oblivious to the plan. Only the owner knew of that and he had even rearranged the reservations so that our suspect would be assured of serving us. It wasn't long before he came into view.

"Suspect sighted," Emily whispered in my ear, all of us on the same frequency. She and Rossi were sitting at the bar, pretending to have drinks.

Derek reached across the table and took my hand tightly, squeezing it to give me comfort and to play up our disguise.

"Good evening," the waiter greeted us, his tone laced with bitterness and hatred as he glared in my direction. "May I offer you some wine?"

"No, thank you," Derek declined. "We will have some champagne instead."

"Derek!" I squealed, playing my role. "You really don't have to!"

"I want to, baby," he replied smoothly. Then, he looked up at the waiter, who in my mind was undoubtedly our unsub. "It's our first anniversary. We've been married a year," he announced.

"I'll get your champagne," the waiter said abruptly, walking away.

While we looked at our menus, Derek could talk into the microphone on his wristwatch and I could reply without being noticed.

"Don't drink much of the champagne," he ordered me. "We can't be even the slightest bit inebriated when we leave here."

"Understood," I replied softly into my microphone, crossing one of my legs over the other, trying to make the position of my gun a little less obvious in case anyone should be looking.

As dinner progressed, the waiter grew more and more bitter and nasty towards us, but more especially so towards me, whom he seemed to loathe with a passion. When our entrees were gone, he reluctantly asked us if we wanted any dessert.

"I don't think so," Derek told him, laying a couple of bills on top of the ticket. "We've got…other plans." With that, he stood up and held out his hand to me and we left Maggie's like any other couple would who was planning on having a delightful evening at home.

We drove towards the house that belonged to the couple we were impersonating and I tried to steady my nerves about what Derek and I were fixing to have to do. We weren't exactly sure if the unsub spied for any length of time before he killed them, but we needed to try to recreate the previous victims' nights in detail.

"Okay, the waiter is leaving the building," Rossi's voice came over the frequency. "He's following you guys closely. We've got plenty of tactical units in the neighborhood, but we want to get him inside the house."

About that time, Derek pulled up in front of the house and we hurried inside.

"Copy that, Rossi," I whispered, following Derek upstairs.

Inside the bedroom, Derek took my hands and pulled me closer to him. "I won't hurt you, Aubry," he promised. "But I need you with me on this." Slowly, he leaned in close and his lips touched mine. That was all it took.

Our bodies melted together and his hands roamed over me softly, through my hair, across my back, and down my arms as our mouths tangled together heatedly. I clutched at handfuls of Derek's shirt, trying to stay in control, but it was so hard.

Somehow, his hands found my zipper and I felt him tugged it downward, his fingertips brushing along my spine. I unconsciously arched against him and I could feel him smiling as his lips trailed down my neck.

When he peeled the dress away, I knew I would never, ever forget my first undercover mission. My dress hit the floor while I was fumbling with the buttons on his shirt.

"Just rip it, babe," he ordered me softly and I did as he commanded. As soon as it was gone, he tumbled me backwards onto the bed, easing himself down on top of me and still kissing me. I had never felt anything so right as his tongue tangling with mine did.

"He's inside the house," Hotch's voice said in my ear and I tensed with fear, reaching for my gun just as Derek did.

Derek rolled us quickly so that I was on top and I realized it was so he would have the shot instead of me. "Put your head down on," he breathed into my ear. I quickly buried my head on his shoulder, no longer thinking about how much of his bare skin was against mine.

The bedroom door opened and Derek shouted at the man. "FBI! Drop the weapon! Don't make me do it, man!" He hesitated for a minute and I felt helpless in the position I was in.

Suddenly, two gunshots rang out very close to my ear and I knew Derek had taken him down. I rolled off him and stood up, still shocked to see the waiter bleeding out on the floor. Derek got to his feet and stood beside me as well.

"We're coming in," Hotch yelled from down the hall. "Is it clear?"

"Clear," Derek called back, holstering his weapon.

All of a sudden, I felt exposed in nothing but my bra and panties and I quickly ducked behind Derek. "My dress!" I hissed as the rest of the team came into the room.

"Hey, Reid! Throw me that black dress," Derek called to the young doctor, who blushed a million shades of red as he picked it up and handed it over.

**Okay, sorry this was short, but I only had a little time to get it written. Hope you like it! I sort of 'borrowed' the idea from NCIS's Under Covers episode. More Derek and Aubry smut to come within a day or two! Please review!**


	7. Chapter 7

DEREK's POV:

In less than five hours, the team was back on the jet in the middle of the night, finally bound for home. Just as they had on their previous trip, everyone crashed where they sat, not worrying about the paperwork until Monday morning. Everyone except for Derek Morgan.

Derek couldn't sleep, no matter how hard he tried. He kept remembering the feeling of Aubry arching into him as he unzipped her black dress. He kept remembering the feeling of her bare skin against his as she buried her face on his shoulder, her long reddish hair brushing across his chest. He kept remembering the fiery passion that had filled those green-gray eyes. Passion that couldn't be faked, even in the most dire situations. She had felt the attraction between them, too, and he wondered to himself if she was having trouble getting in out of her head as he was.

She was sitting just across from him, asleep on the sofa in the back of the plane. Her long legs were stretched out and she had her arms tucked underneath her head as a makeshift pillow. Very slowly, Derek picked up his jacket, crossed the plane, and eased her up, slipping the jacket underneath her head, hoping it would make her more comfortable. Aubry stirred in her sleep and then her eyelids fluttered open.

"Hey," she whispered drowsily, smiling up at him from beneath those long, dark eyelashes. "Is something wrong? Are we home yet?"

Derek sat down on the edge of the sofa and shook his head. "No. I was just putting my jacket underneath your head so you'd be more comfortable. Sorry I woke you up."

Aubry propped up on one elbow and looked down at the fleece jacket lying on the sofa, then turned her face back towards Derek. He stared into her eyes, completely captivated by the depth of emotion in them. Slowly, he leaned in towards her and before he knew it, his lips brushed against hers. She drew in a deep breath, twining one arm around his neck as he deepened the kiss gradually. His tongue battled with hers for dominance and he knew down deep that neither of them would ever win; this was a mutual attraction and one they couldn't deny, even though they'd only known each other for a week.

**AUBRY'S POV:**

I hardly knew how it happened, but I did know that I was kissing Derek Morgan again. I was kissing him like I'd never kissed any man ever before. Then, I remembered exactly where we were: a small jet with the rest of the team. Quickly, I pushed Derek away, shaking my head.

"No, Derek! Not here!" I whispered. "We'll get caught."

"So you're saying that if we weren't here, you'd kiss me some more?" Derek asked suggestively, his forehead still very close to mine.

"I know I shouldn't, but I just can't say no," I breathed. "But Derek, what are doing?"

He shook his head gently. "I don't know. All I know is that you could tell me to jump off a building, and I'd do it without question."

I blushed a deep shade of red and ducked my head, but Derek put his hand underneath my chin and lifted it up again. "Don't be embarrassed, baby girl. You should be proud. You're the first woman to totally bewitch Derek Morgan."

It was early morning when we arrived in D.C. and I was half-asleep when I walked off the jet onto the tarmac where a bureau SUV was waiting to take us back to Quantico. I climbed into the very back seat and Derek was right behind me while Rossi and Hotch rode up front with Reid and Prentiss behind them and in front of them.

"I'm…so…tired," I mumbled amid a yawn. "Maybe I'll just crash on the sofa in my office."

Derek took my hand in his since we were behind everyone else. "I'll take you home," he offered. "Just give me a few minutes to grab a few things when we get to the office."

"Okay," I replied shyly, shivering at his touch.

When we got back to the offices, I straightened some files and began work on some of my paperwork while Derek took care of a few things. I found myself nodding off on my desk and before I knew it, I had dozed off on top of a stack of files.

A quiet knock on my office door jolted me out of my slumber and I jumped up hastily. "I'm ready!" I exclaimed, still half asleep.

Both Derek and I were silent on the short drive to my apartment, both of us worn out. Still, I didn't feel the need to make meaningless conversation. The silence was pleasant, not awkward.

"So, you still planning to stay with the BAU after two cases?" he finally asked me.

I grinned. "It was worse than I expected, but I sort of expected it to be worse…if that makes any sense at all."

Derek smiled at me and reached across the consol of his car to hold my hand. "It does to me. Trust me. I've seen things that would make veteran FBI agents sick to their stomachs. It's just part of the job."

I nodded understandingly as he pulled to the curb in front of my apartment complex. "Thanks for the ride, Derek," I told him, smiling shyly.

He leaned in and pressed a brief but firm kiss on my lips. "I'll pick you up at seven tonight, okay?"

Blushing, I nodded. "Sounds good. I'll be ready."

As I walked up the sidewalk to my building, he rolled down the window of his car and called to me. "Hey, Aubry, wear the dress you wore last night."

I waved goodbye to him, nodding in agreement, and then let myself inside.

It felt good to be home, but a week's worth of mail had been stuffed through the slot in my door and the milk in my fridge had gone bad. I paid no attention to these little things. Instead, I slipped into plaid sleep shorts and a t-shirt, then dove beneath the covers of my bed and fell asleep immediately.

When I woke up, it was 3pm and I arose feeling refreshed and full of energy. It was as if the stress of the past week had left me during my long nap and now I felt ready to face the world again. My immediate plan included getting ready for my date with Derek.

Before I jumped in the shower, I sorted through my mail, cleaned out my fridge, unpacked and re-packed my go-bag, and tossed a load of laundry in the washing machine. It was amazing how things could pile up when you were gone for a week at a time.

**DEREK'S POV:**

Derek took a long nap as soon as he got back to his place, then forced himself to get up around 4:30PM in the afternoon. After sorting through his mail, cleaning out his fridge, unpacking and re-packing his go-bag, and putting a load of laundry in the washer, he jumped in the shower to get ready for his date with Aubry.

As he showered, shaved, and dressed, Derek thought about Aubry and how he felt about her. He had never been one to break the bureau's rules when it came to dating. Despite his reputation as a player, he had never actually dated anyone in the FBI. Now, he was going against his own rule book to take out this girl.

Aubry had somehow managed to totally bewitch him in the short time that he'd known her. Was it her green eyes or the way she'd stood up to him the day he made a remark about her having a temper? Was it the way she tossed her reddish hair over her shoulders? He didn't know, but he did know that he wasn't about to screw things up with her tonight. In fact, he wanted to do everything perfectly.

Earlier, when they were in the office, he'd called and made reservations at a upper class restaurant in Manassas, Virginia. Rossi had mentioned it a while back and he thought it would be a good choice to take Aubry on a date. Now, on his way to pick her up, he stopped at a florist and picked up a beautiful bouquet of lilies for Aubry. He'd done roses for other girls, but not her. She was different.

When he got to her apartment building, he went up to her door and knocked, then waited nervously for her to come to the door. She opened it wide and once again the profiler was blown away by her simple and elegant beauty.

She was wearing the same black dress, but this time she had on black high heels with silver jewelry. Her long hair was swept up into an elegant low ponytail that hung over one shoulder. "Am I dressed okay?" she asked.

"You're perfect," Derek breathed, in awe of the sight before him. She was twice as beautiful as she had been last night and she reminded him of one of the girls from the James Bond movies—smokin' hot and incredibly sexy.

Aubry blushed and played with the bracelet on her wrist nervously, very much aware of Derek staring at her.

"I brought you some flowers," he told her, handing them to her clumsily. It wasn't like him to be such a dork about dates and it was completely disconcerting the handsome FBI agent.

"Oh! Lilies are my favorite!" Aubry exclaimed with sincerity ringing in every note of her voice. "How did you know?"

Derek flashed her his charming, know-all grin. "I know everything, baby. Now come on, let's get out of here."

**Stay tuned for a really big surprise: When Derek and Aubry go out to dinner, who will they see there and will it affect their relationship? Plus, how will there night end? Keep reading and you'll find out on "Falling for Derek Morgan."**


	8. Chapter 8

**AUBRY'S POV:**

I quickly put my beautiful flowers in a vase of water, grabbed my silver clutch, and left with Derek. He opened the car door for me to get in and then closed it behind me, like a perfect gentleman. I could only smile and try to calm the butterflies inside me as he climbed into the driver's seat and took my hand in his.

"So, where are we going?" I wanted to know, reveling in the sensation of his thumb making slow circles on the back of my hand.

"You'll see, baby girl," he assured me, smiling mischievously and squeezing my hand tightly. We stopped at a red light and he leaned in close to give me swift kiss that I felt all the way down to the tips of my toes.

"So, Aubry, where'd you get your degree?" Derek asked, accelerating again.

"Columbia," I replied. "I have a degree in Criminal Justice with a specialty in criminal profiling. And, I got a minor in public relations."

Derek's eyebrows shot up. "Wow. Guess you went to school for a long time."

I shrugged. "I started with dual enrollment in my Junior year of high school, so I got my core classes out the way early."

He looked at me, then back at the road, then back at me. "You sound just like Reid right now, Aubry."

Laughing merrily, I smoothed the wrinkles in my dress. "I was sort of a nerd in my class. The loner."

"Why? Weren't you this striking in high school?" Derek asked, turning the car onto a different street.

"No, I wasn't. I was nerdy and wore big glasses. My parents were a bit pushy when it came to getting the best education possible. I had to excel! There was no Plan B."

"Only child, right?" Derek guessed correctly.

"Yeah," I replied softly. "An only child."

We arrived at the restaurant after a brief drive and were seated promptly at a small table for two. The hostess gave us two menus and assured us that our waiter wouldn't be long.

"This place is really, really nice, Derek," I told him, smiling at him in the dim candlelight. "It reminds me of this place I went once called Maggie's. It was nice too, but the evening was a little stressful."

Morgan reached across the table and took my hand in his. "I wanted this night to be just right, baby. And I knew how stressful that night was. I was there." He winked and leaned across the small table to kiss me.

I was leaning towards him as well when something caught my eye. A very familiar looking brunette was locked in a heated kiss with a easily recognizable Hotch.

"It—it's Emily!" I exclaimed, pulling back from Derek suddenly. "And Hotch."

"Where?" Derek exclaimed, snapping his head around to look in the direction that I was.

Sure enough, Aaron Hotchner and Emily Prentiss were in a back corner, sharing a very intense kiss. My mouth fell open as I watched them and I could feel Derek's surprise as well.

"Well I'll be damned," he muttered. "Wonder how long they've been dating?"

I shook my head, still watching the couple, who were obviously lost in their own little happy world. "I dunno, but they are definitely making the most of this evening," I replied.

"I'd say so," Derek agreed, shaking his smoothly-shaved head. "So, what do you say we make the most of ours." He leaned across the table again and pressed his moist lips against mine gently. My eyelids fluttered shut and I sighed into him blissfully, loving the taste of the cinnamon gum he chewed.

"Ah-hem," someone cleared his throat close to us. I pulled back immediately and nearly choked on air when I saw Hotch and Emily standing beside our table.

"Enjoying your night out?" Emily asked, a smile twitching at the corners of her mouth.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, we are," Derek replied smartly. "How about you two? Anything you'd like to tell us?"

"Em—Prentiss—and I were just discussing the case over dinner and a glass of wine," Hotch insisted firmly.

"Um…maybe it's just me, but it didn't look like you were doing too much discussing over there," I pointed out. Here, Hotch wasn't my boss. He was another diner in a restaurant.

"How long have you two been goin' out, man?" Derek wanted to know, looking up at Hotch with incredulity.

"Two months," Emily replied, slipping her hand into Aaron's. "We thought you guys would have figured it out by now."

"Looks like we're not the only ones breaking rules, baby," Morgan told me, smiling the same smile that made my body tingle down to the tips of my toes.

"We'll let you two get back to dinner," Aaron said, pulling Emily away. "See you on Monday morning."

"Bye," we called to them.

After the surprise, Derek and I fell easily into conversation. He told me about his family and his childhood, even the details of the horrors he'd endured as a young boy. I held his hand as much as I could, loving the warmth of his grip on my hand.

I told him about my life as an only child, forced into nerd-ishness by my parents desire for me to succeed.

"Why did you decide to join the FBI?" he wanted to know.

"Well, the CIA has a bad reputation and I knew that if I came to the FBI, I could eventually work my way into the BAU. I read all of Rossi's works and watched his career when I was working my degree. And, then there's the reason I was an only child—that was the real motivator."

Derek shook his head. "Aubry, what are you talking about? Did you have siblings?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I had twin baby brothers. When I was twelve, they were six and somebody snatched them from the front yard one day." I swallowed the tears back and looked down at my plate. "We hoped for the best, but in the end they were found in a dumpster in the city. They had been sexually abused and beaten to death. My parents never got over it…and neither did I."

Morgan was silent for a moment, but I could feel his sympathy oozing out of every pore on his skin. "Wow. No wonder you decided to join law enforcement."

"I promised myself that I would protect anyone that I could, so that one day I might could prevent such needless deaths as theirs' were."

"Then you've come to the right place," Morgan assured me.

We got back to my apartment around nine-thirty and I invited him inside without any apprehension, yearning for another kiss like the one we'd shared on the airplane. I wanted to feel his strong, muscular arms wrapped tightly around me. I wanted to feel our mouths fused together in an endless struggle for control that neither of us would.

"You feel like watching some TV?" I suggested. "Maybe a movie?"

He smiled at me. "Whatever you want, baby. I'm just here to spend time with you."

While I quickly changed into some plaid pajama pants and an FBI t-shirt, Derek took off his tie and jacket, and unbuttoned his top button. When I came downstairs, he was waiting for me. A happy smile spread across his handsome face and he met me a few steps from the landing, slipping his arms around me.

"God, you're beautiful," he breathed, slipping his hands underneath my arms and lifting me up easily. He carried me down the last few steps and then set me safely back on my feet.

"You're not so bad lookin' yourself, Agent Morgan," I whispered back, reaching up and wrapping my arms around his neck.

"Tell me something I don't know," he laughed, leaning down and claiming my lips with his.

I raised up on tip-toes, trying to meet him halfway. When his tongue ran along my bottom lip, I shivered and clutched at handfuls of his black shirt as I willingly gave him access to the depths of my mouth.

Moving slowly, Derek backed me across the room and toppled me onto the couch, holding his weight up so he didn't crush me. Our legs tangled together as his hands explored everywhere and his mouth plundered mine. I felt his hands begin to ease my shirt up and that's when I stopped him short, pushing my palms up against his chest.

"Wait, Derek," I exclaimed breathlessly. "You have to know something!"

He pulled back and looked down at me, still hovering above me. "What's wrong, sweetheart?"

"I'm not that kind of girl, Derek. I don't have… My family is very religious and I have…rules about this kind of thing. Until I have a husband…I just can't," I stammered, blushing madly as I spoke.

"You're saying you want to remain pure until you get married?" Derek tried to understand all my jumbled, half-spoken sentences.

I nodded. "Yes. Do you think I'm a stupid little girl?"

He smiled and shook his head. "No, baby, I don't. I think you're a wise woman and I admire you for adhering to your rules, even though I admit that I would have liked to pick up where we left off last night."  
"Derek, you have no idea how much I want to do the same, but for now, lets just make out for a little while longer."

"I don't have a problem with that either," he told me, settling closer against me once more.


	9. Chapter 9

**DEREK'S POV:**

On Monday morning, Derek met Aubry in the parking deck of the FBI building and they took an elevator together.

"You ready to head out again?" he asked her between kisses in the privacy of the elevator.

"As long as I get a seat beside you on the jet, baby, I'll go anywhere and do anything," she whispered back, brushing his cheek with her fingertips.

"You'll get that seat," he assured her, trying to remember if he'd ever felt this way with anyone before. He didn't think he had. In fact, he was certain that he'd never felt so much for someone so quickly has he felt for Aubry. He was pretty sure he hadn't ever cared so much about someone at all.

The elevator neared the BAU's floor and Derek leaned in for one more quick, heated kiss. Aubry ran her hands down his chest, sighing blissfully into his mouth.

**AUBRY'S POV:**

Just before the elevator doors opened, I pulled away from Derek and straightened my purple blouse and my black pencil skirt. He was hastily smoothing his grey button-up shirt and grinned at me impishly.

"This could be addictive," he laughed. "Quick moments in the elevator before getting to work."

I punched his arm playfully. "Maybe we should be focusing on work instead of thinking about heading back into the elevator, Derek Morgan."

Derek headed to his desk and I went to my office to look over the cases that had been brought to our attention over the weekend. I quickly thumbed through several of them and quickly decided that we were needed in Lexington, Kentucky right away. Someone was abducting teenage girls and raping them brutally. Four had been killed so far and I knew we had to do something fast before he killed someone else.

In less than two hours, we hundreds of miles above the ground, headed towards Lexington. I was a bit worried because this was the first case that I had chosen. It was up to me to decide who needed our help the most and if I chose wrong, more people might die. It was stressful even without investigating the cases. If I made the wrong decision, it could result in letting a monster go free. But, I couldn't think about those things well. I had to focus on the problem at hand—finding the person responsible for these atrocities.

While the rest of the team worked on a preliminary profile, I worked on a statement to present to the press. Five skillfully trained profilers couldn't certainly handle that. I wasn't nearly as good as they were and my job was media liaison. I didn't want to overstep my job description.

I was busy trying to think of the correct wording of a sentence when I heard my name called. My head snapped up quickly and I felt all eyes on me. "Sorry, what?" I asked, looking up and putting my pen down hastily.

"What do you think about the person who's doing this?" Rossi wanted to know.

I gulped hard. "Um…sorry, but I wasn't really listening just now."

"That's okay, Aubry," Derek was quick to tell me. "You were busy."

I saw Hotch's lips tighten into a thinner line and I was afraid that I'd done something terribly wrong. The last thing I wanted to do was lose my new job. Then I wouldn't get to work with Derek anymore.

When we landed, the local police department had already sent two dark SUVs to the airport for us and the minute our bags and tactical gear was loaded, we were headed to the station. I led the team inside since I had been the one in contact with the Lexington PD.

"Agent Edwards?" the chief detective on the case wanted to know, approaching us.

I extended my hand. "That's right. You must be Detective Greene."

He shook my hand limply, looking me up and down critically. I got the distinct feeling that he didn't see me as a person who was capable of catching brutal serial killers.

"You're younger than I expected you to be," he commented, his tone devoid of any warmth. "And is this the rest of your team?"

It took me a minute to recover from his remark, but I did and immediately introduced everyone else. "This is our team leader, SSA Hotchner, Agents Rossi, Morgan, Prentiss and Dr. Reid," I informed him, gesturing to each person as I called their name.

"I wish I could say it's a pleasure to meet all of you, but it isn't," Detective Greene said bluntly. "It's about time you decided to take our case. We waited for three days and we've had one more body turn up since I called the FBI."

While Hotch and Rossi continued talking to Detective Greene, I tried to figure out what it was about what he had just said that seemed so odd. Of course, there was the obvious: his obvious dislike for the fact that we had taken longer to arrive than he expected. But there was also something else. Something I couldn't put my finger on.

The detective hadn't set up any place for us to work and I could tell that Hotch was put out, as were the rest of us. No more so than me. I had specifically requesting a place for us to conference and work on the profile, but they hadn't paid attention to my request.

"I'm so sorry, Hotch," I apologized for the third time. "I know I told them that we would need space to work."

"It's all right, Aubry," he assured me, looking somewhat gentle for the first time since I'd met him. "They did this on purpose. They don't want us here."

"But they called us in to work the case," I insisted. "Why would they not want us here?"

"They're getting pressure from other areas," he explained quietly. "I'm not sure who yet, but we'll fin—"

Hotch's words were cut short by a woman rushing into the police station. She was sobbing hysterically.

"My daughter is gone!" she screamed frantically. "She didn't come home from the movies last night!"

Rossi and Detective Greene got to her at the same time and helped her sit down. She was sobbing loudly and could only say the same two sentences over and over again.

"Ma'am, I need you to calm down," Rossi told her. "Can you tell me your name?"

The woman could only shake her head and cry louder. Rossi looked at me and gestured to the woman's purse. I nodded and quickly pulled her wallet from it.

"Her name is Sela Winston," I informed him. Then, as I put the wallet back in her purse, I saw a picture of a beautiful blonde teenage girl. Slowly, I pulled it out and held it out to the crying woman.

"Ms. Winston, is this your daughter?" I wanted to know.

She nodded adamantly. "She went to the movies last night with her friends, and she was supposed to spend the night with them, but this morning I called them and they told her that she was coming home. She never made it home!" At the end of her speech, she was hysterical again.

"Just calm down, Ms. Winston," Rossi told her softly. "We're going to help."

"We'll find her, ma'am," I assured her, trying to comfort her. \

**TWO DAYS LATER:**

I stared down at the bruised, naked body of Allie Winston. She had been raped repeatedly and then strangled to death. Now, she was lying in an alley in downtown Lexington. My stomach churned violently and I walked away hurriedly only to throw up behind a nearby dumpster.

"Aubry?" Derek called, coming up behind me. "Are you okay?"

I nodded. "I just need…a minute or two, Derek," I replied, putting one hand against the brick building in front of me to keep myself steady. My head was spinning and I was afraid I was going to be sick again.

"Okay," he replied reluctantly. "I'll be over here if you need me."

I nodded again, feeling somewhat better.

While the Derek and Hotch arranged to have the body sent back to the morgue, I walked back to the SUV shakily and got myself a bottle of water.

"Are you all right?" Reid wanted to know, coming up to me. I was surprised that he asked, since he obviously hadn't been too keen on the thought of me taking over Agent Jereau's position in the beginning.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I just got a little sick."

"You thought we'd find her in time, didn't you?" he continued, not moving.

My throat ached and my eyes filled with tears. "Yes, I thought we would. I knew we would find her alive. I was so, so sure!" My voice broke and I bit my lip to keep my chin from quivering.

"I was too," he informed me softly. "She was so beautiful. She looked a lot like J.J." Something strange crossed his face when he spoke my predecessor's name

"You cared about her, didn't you? J.J?" I had the nerve to say. "That's why you don't like me, isn't it?"

"I like you fine!" he exclaimed. "But yes, I cared about her and I really miss her. A lot."

"I'm sorry, Reid," I apologized. "But, I have to do my job and I'd like it if we could be friends."

"Oh, we can," he replied matter-of-factly. "But let's get to work to catch this guy, huh?"

We got back to the police station about thirty minutes later and my stomach felt normal again. I could see that Derek was watching me carefully, but I shook my head gently at him, telling him not to say anything. He obeyed my wish respectfully, but I knew that once we made it back to the hotel tonight, he'd come to see me. I couldn't say that I wasn't dying to feel his strong arms wrapped protectively around me. He hadn't kissed me in two days and it was so hard to be so close to him, and yet so far away from him.

I walked into the station slowly, the rest of the team coming in behind me. None of us were very upbeat. Our profile was flagging anybody and we had just lost another person to this murderer.

"You!" Sela Winston pointed her finger directly at me. She looked sad and angry at the same time. "You promised you would find my baby!"

Before I knew what was happening, she marched right up to me and slapped my face three times in succession. "You're a lying bitch," she swore bitterly. "You told me you would bring her home and now she's dead! Her death is on YOU!"


	10. Chapter 10

**AUBRY'S POV:**

As I stood in shock of slapping me as hard as she could, Derek and Rossi stepped in front of me.

"Ma'am, I need you to come with me," Rossi told her, pushing me backwards gently. I could feel Derek's hand on the small of my back and his other hand on my arm, pulling me away gently.

"Come with me, Aubry," he whispered into my ear.

I turned away slowly, unable to take my eyes off the distraught mother. Derek pulled me a little harder and I finally went with him.

"We all need to get back to the hotel, anyway," Hotch told us quietly. "We'll get a fresh start in the morning. See you all in the lobby at 7AM."

"Let me take you back," Derek insisted, his hand still firmly placed on the small of my back.

"Okay," I whispered softly, leaning a little closer to him then I really needed to. "That sounds good to me."

We got back to the hotel twenty minutes later and I hadn't spoken a single word since we left. My thoughts were running wild inside my head and I felt a little panicky.

"How about we order room service in your room?" Derek suggested. "I think that I heard Hotch ask Emily to go out for a bite to eat with him."

"Sounds good," I replied absently, only focusing on the fact that Derek's hand was wrapped around mine tightly.

We got into the elevator and I couldn't help but think about three days ago when we had been kissing feverishly in the letting him help me to forget everything. I couldn't wait until we reached the hotel room and I squeezed his hand tighter and nestled closer against him.

"I've missed you," I whispered, wrapping my arms around his waist and raising up on my tip-toes to seek out his warm mouth.

"I've missed you, too, baby," he told me, kissing my forehead instead of my lips. I knew he was trying to be a gentleman, but I didn't want him to be anymore. Screw the rules and screw my conscience. I wanted him. And I wanted him NOW!

The elevator doors opened and I pulled him out hurriedly. "Which room is yours?" I asked, my voice low and suggestive.

"734," he told me, wrapping one arm around my waist and pulling the key out of his pocket.

Before the door was completely shut, my body was molded against his and our mouths were locked in a fierce battle for domination. I clutched at handfuls of his shirt, struggling to remain in control, but I could gradually feel it slipping away from me. All I wanted to do right now was forget everything that had happened in the last seventy-two hours.

In seconds, I had Derek's shirt unbuttoned and it was lying on the floor at my feet. Mine followed soon afterwards and then I pulled him towards the bed, our mouths still fused together. It all came to a crashing halt when we toppled down onto the bed.

"Wait, Aubry!" Derek stopped me, pulling back suddenly. "We can't! I can't do this to you."

"Why not?" I snapped, using all my strength to try and pull him back down to me. "I want it and you want it, so why can't we?"

"Because you're exhausted and you're emotionally drained. You would regret this in the morning and you'd hate me," he told me softly.

"No, I won't!" I insisted, hitting my palms against his chest angrily. My throat was aching and tears were welling up in my eyes, but I didn't want to break. "I just want you to make me forget!" I sobbed, my façade finally disappearing as I broke down.

Derek wrapped me in his arms and sat up, holding me in his lap tightly as I cried and cried, my face buried on his muscular chest. "It's all right, Aubry," he kept telling me, smoothing my hair and rubbing slow circles on my back.

I sobbed until there were no more tears left in me and then I was cold, so I nestled closer to Derek, seeking out the warmth of his body. "I shouldn't have promised her what I did, Derek," I whispered. "I will never, never do it again. She was so sure that we were going to find her daughter and it was all because of me!"

"We've all said things like that and regretted them later," he assured me. "But the best thing we can do now is catch Allie's killer. We'll catch him and put him away for life."

"But there will always be another monster out there, won't there?"

I felt Derek sigh loudly before he answered. "Yes, baby, there will. But, the only thing we can do is work hard and take down the ones we can. You can't win them all, even though we wish we could."

After a little bit longer snuggled close to me, Derek got up and ordered us some room service and then we got dressed again. I blushed at how I had thrown myself at him and left all my morals at the police station.

"Thank you," I told him sincerely.

"For what?" he asked, confused.

"For not taking advantage of me. It was a very gentlemanly thing to do and I know I didn't make it easy." I blushed again and ducked my head.

"Hey." Derek pulled me close and tilted my chin upwards so that I was looking into his eyes. "You're important to me and if I do what I've always done, then I'll get what I've always gotten. I don't want that anymore. I want you."

I smiled up at him shyly. "You're too sweet, Derek Morgan. I don't deserve someone as wonderful as you."

"It's me that doesn't deserve you," he insisted, kissing me long and slow. "But I think I'll stay, no matter how undeserving I am."

** Okay, sorry this one was shorter, but I'm trying to watch The Ugly Truth and work on my personal novel, so I don't have much time today. Let me know what you think. Keep reviewing! **


	11. Chapter 11

**AUBRY'S POV:**

Later that night, after we had eaten a large meal in my hotel room, I walked Derek to the door and kissed him goodnight, my eyes staying closed for several seconds after his lips left mine.

"Goodnight," I breathed, finally opening my eyes and looking deep into his intense brown ones.

"Goodnight, baby," he told me. "We'll get him tomorrow. I promise."

I smiled wearily, comforted by his confidence. Tonight, his strength was my strength. "I know we will, Derek. See you in the morning."

As he walked down the hall to the room he shared with Hotch, I leaned against the doorframe and watched him go. He was so sweet and loving—two things I hadn't found in a guy in a really long time.

While I was washing my makeup off in the bathroom, I heard a key slip into the lock and Emily came into the room. She looked tired as well, but there was something of a radiant glow about her that I couldn't quite place.

"Hey," she greeted me, coming into the bathroom. "How're you doing?"

"Fine," I said, too quickly. "Why, did you talk to Derek?"

She shook her head, running her fingers through her long brown hair. "No. I just passed him in the hallway and he didn't say anything. I am a profiler, Aubry. You have to give me some credit."

I nodded and half-smiled. "Yeah, I guess so. I'm really okay now, though. Thanks, Emily."

"No problem. We're a team and we look out for our own."

The next morning, the team congregated in the lobby at 7AM and headed back to the police station to finish solving the case. Derek caught my hand for a second as we walked out the door and squeezed it gently.

"We're gonna get him today, Aubry," he assured me again. "Have faith."

"Semper Fi," I added, nodding in agreement.

Derek was right. Today was a new day and I needed to have a fresh outlook on the case. I needed to see what we hadn't seen before. But first, I had to release a statement to the press concerning Allie Winston's death, a task that I dreaded.

Detective Greene was just as welcoming when we arrived at the station, even though we had come armed with over two dozen coffees and several dozen doughnuts. What cop wouldn't be swayed by doughnuts, I wondered as I grabbed myself one and sat down to write the statement for the press. Why did Greene hate us so much? We had come because he requested us to and so far, I hadn't seen any signs of pressure from other areas, aside from the victims' families. In the back of my mind, I knew something wasn't right, but I couldn't put my finger on it. I would worry about that after the press conference, I decided .

The local media outlets were only too enthusiastic to get a fresh report from the FBI regarding the progress of the case, despite the fact that the news of Allie's death had already reached the public.

"Agent Edwards, is it true that your profile hasn't flagged any suspects yet?" one reporter asked me from among the sea of cameras and microphones that were in front of my podium.

"We are reevaluating our profile to make sure that our conclusions are correct, however we still stand by the profile we released to the public," I told him confidently. "Anyone who knows of anyone that fits this profile is asked to please contact our tip-line immediately. Nothing is too small to be reported."

"We understand that Allie Winston's mother became physically violent to a member of your team. Is this true?" another reporter shouted out.

I grew very still, the memory of the woman's grief still fresh in my mind. "Ms. Winston was upset by the news of her daughter's death," I replied diplomatically. "She had a momentary lapse in judgment and that is nothing to be ashamed of. I can tell you with absolute certainty that she didn't harm any of our team."

Once again, the reporters and journalists began shouting out questions at me, but I put my hand up. "Thank you, that's all for now." With that, I headed back inside to help the team with re-working the profile.

"How did it go out there?" Hotch asked me, looking up from his work when I walked back in.

"Fine," I told him honestly. "They're still scared, but I told them to report anything they thought might be relevant. Somebody will come through for us."

Reid looked up from the TV where he'd been watching my press conference. "You're confidence comes across very well on camera," he complimented me. "It will reassure the public that we're protecting the citizens of this city and that we're sure our profile is right. You did a good job, Aubry."

The entire team looked from me to Reid and then back again. They all knew it was unlike him to be friendly towards me. I just smiled, however, and sat down at the conference table.

"Thanks, Spencer," I told him.

Sure enough, later in the afternoon, we caught a break .Tips from the hotline combined with Garcia's infinite wisdom led us to a suspect who fit the profile to a T. We arrested him with only a short chase. It was Detective Greene. He had been right there under our noses the whole time and all it took was a little closer inspection.

So, by 8PM that night, we were on our flight back to Quantico and I was winding down, just as everyone else was. It felt good to be going home again. I couldn't wait to sleep in my bed and eat breakfast at the coffee shop on the corner of my street. I wanted to go out somewhere fun with Derek to do something that didn't require a profile or a warrant.

I had a seat beside Derek and as I began to doze off, my head fell on his shoulder. I instantly snapped it back to attention and he laughed quietly.

"It's fine, Aubry," he assured me. "They all know anyway. They're profilers."

"He's right," Rossi spoke up. " We saw it coming from Day One, but the past couple of days just confirmed it."

I blushed. "I guess we can't hide anything from you guys, huh?" I giggled gaily.

"Nope, not a thing," Emily replied.

"Wait, what's going on?" Reid wanted to know, looking up from his book. "Did I miss something?"

There was silence for a moment and then the entire team, minus Spencer, laughed happily. It was a good ending to a horrible case.

**Once again, sorry today's chapter was so rushed, but I've got a ton of stuff to do and my novel really needs to come first. Hope you like this and forgive some of my typos!**


	12. Chapter 12

**AUBRY'S POV:**

We got home late Thursday evening and on Friday morning, it was back to the office to take care of paperwork before the weekend arrived. Derek had promised me that we would do something special and I was antsy to get out of the office. We were starting the weekend off by cooking at his apartment tonight and it was all I could do to focus on the work in front of me, especially when he was sitting only a few yards away from me.

Around two in the afternoon, my Blackberry beeped loudly, alerting me to the arrival of a new message. I picked it up and saw that it was from Derek.

**Derek Morgan: You and me, in the elevator. Now!**

I grinned as I read it and then glanced out into the bullpen to see where he was. Our eyes met and he winked seductively. Thinking quickly, I grabbed my car keys and a stack of empty case folders, then walked towards the elevators. A few seconds later, Derek followed me, staying a little ways behind so we weren't terribly obvious.

The moment the elevator doors closed behind us, he had me pinned against the wall, his mouth assaulting mine with the most intense passion imaginable. Our tongues mingled and I tasted the Starbucks coffee that he had had on his lunch break.

"It's so hard," he whispered, pulling away when we were both desperate for air.

"What is?" I asked, wrinkling my brow in confusion as I gasped for air.

"Being so close to you and not being able to touch you," he explained, starting to kiss my throat, my jaw, my eyelids—everywhere but my lips.

"I thought we…" I paused as he kissed a particularly sensitive spot just behind my ear, "…agreed that we couldn't do this whole…elevator thing."

"Who gives a damn?" Derek asked. "They all know we're together, so what does it matter?"

"Strauss doesn't know and she'd probably have our jobs if she knew," I pointed out, trying to think rationally. Derek was making it very difficult, however, to concentrate on any one particular thought.

"Yeah, yeah. You're just trying to avoid telling me what a great kisser I am," Morgan teased, trailing his fingers down my arm.

"No, I'm saying that as much as I'd like to stay in here forever, you and I both have work to finish if we want to cook dinner tonight."

Derek sighed; He knew I was right. "Okay, we'll go back upstairs," he conceded.

**DEREK'S POV: **

It was seven-thirty in the evening and Derek Morgan was staring at what he thought was the most beautiful story he had ever seen. Aubry was standing in his kitchen, a flower-print apron tied over her jeans and tank top, cooking dinner for the two of them. Her long hair was pulled up in a high ponytail and she had on just a little makeup, but she looked incredible to him.

Taylor Swift's "Love Story" was playing on the radio and Aubry was swaying along with the music as she buttered garlic bread to go with the spaghetti and meatballs. Finally, Derek couldn't resist. He grabbed her hand and spun her around against his chest, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"May I have this dance?" he asked, tickling her stomach.

"Yes, yes!" she giggled, taking one of his hands and putting the other one on his shoulder. The beautiful song drifted quietly through the room as they rotated slowly to the beat.

"I have a question for you," Derek told Aubry.

"What's that?" she wanted to know.

"Will you come home with me for Thanksgiving next week?" He held his breath, hoping and praying that she would say yes.

For a moment, Aubry was completely silent and Derek could tell she was turning the question over in her mind. "I'd love to," she finally said, smiling up at him. "But will your family like me?"

Derek's answer was to kiss her long and sweet as Taylor sang, **" He knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring and said marry me Juliet, you'll never have to be alone. I love you and that's all I really know. I talked to your dad, you'll pick out a white dress. It's a Love Story, baby just say….yes!" **

**AUBRY'S POV:**

A week later, I was finishing up some last minute packing with only thirty minutes until Derek was scheduled to pick me up so we could head to the airport. I was nervous about meeting his mom and two sisters, Sarah and Desiree. What if they didn't like me? What if they thought I was wrong for Derek? My mind was filled with endless thoughts about possible outcomes of our holiday and not many of them were favorable. Emily and Penelope, who knew of our travel plans, had assured me that the Morgans were a very nice family. They were certain I'd feel right at home in no time at all. When I asked them what made them say that, their reply was simply.

"Because you and Derek are perfect for one another."

Still, I wasn't totally convinced, which is why I was having doubts about going now. Maybe I should just stay in D.C. and go to Thanksgiving dinner at Rossi's house, where everyone else was congregating. Just as I was seriously considering unpacking both my bags, my cell phone rang. It was Garcia.

"Hey, Garcia, what's up?"

"You're thinking about backing out, aren't you, my little gum drop?" She asked me, never skipping a beat.

"How did you—I mean uh…no! Why would you ask that?"

"Because, I have this feeling that you're going to try and beg off Derek. You know, tell him to go and have a good time while you stay home and do nothing but wish you HAD gone in the first place," she explained cheerfully.

I plopped down on the side of my bed. "You really should be a profiler, Penelope," I told her. "And yes, I was considering backing out. I'm so nervous that I think I've packed all the wrong things! I mean, what if they don't like me?" All my insecurities came out at once and I felt like a teenager telling my mother all my problems.

"Sweetheart, don't worry about a thing. The Morgan ladies will love you because Derek loves you," Penelope assured me.

I sighed. "I guess you're right. I'll go and make the best of it."

In fifteen minutes, Derek knocked on my apartment door and I went to greet him. He gave me a swift kiss and hugged me tightly.

"Hey, you ready to go?" he asked me.

"I think so," I told him, trying to sound confident. "My bags are ready to go. They're in the bedroom."

"I'll get them for you, baby," he offered, heading to my bedroom.

While he was grabbing the bags, I pulled on my army-green jacket and wrapped a black scarf around my neck. This was it; I was going to meet Derek Morgan's family. The next few hours would be crucial. If they didn't like me, it would most likely affect the future of my relationship with Derek. I prayed that they would like me and that I would like them.


	13. AUTHOR'S NOTE

**Hi, everyone! Listen, I have decided to go on hiatus for this story. To be perfectly honest, I'm losing my interest in Criminal Minds. There isn't enough of the characters and too much about the cases. Honestly, I've recently become super addicted to NCIS and NCIS: Los Angeles. I've started a story on NCIS: LA, so if you'd like to read some more of my work, check that out. It's called Falling for G. **

**At some point, I may come back to this story, but definitely not until after the holidays! **

**Happy Thanksgiving**

**Socialgal5**


End file.
